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OL.

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For women are trothles, and flote in an houre.
O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

But what helps complaining? In vaine I complaine:
O willow, &c.

I must patiently suffer her scorne, and disdaine.
O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

[Come, 178] Come, all you forsaken, and set (l. sit corr.) O willow, &c,

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[down by me,

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He that 'plaines of his false love, mine's falser than she.

O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

The willow wreath weare I, since my love did fleet;
O willow, &c.

A Garland for lovers forsaken most meete.

O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland!

THE SECOND PART.

LOWE lay'd by my sorrow, begot by disdaine,

O willow, willow, willow!

Against her too cruell, still still I complaine,

O willow, willow, willow!

O willow, willow, willow:

Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garlànd!

O love too injurious, to wound my poore heart;
O willow, &c.

To suffer the triumph, and joy in my smart:

O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

[O willow, 179] O willow, willow, willow! the willow

O willow, &c.

[garland,

A sign of her falsenesse before me doth stand:

O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

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As here it doth bid to despair and to dye,

O willow, &c.

So hang it, friends, ore mee in grave where I lye:

O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

In grave where I rest mee, hang this to the view
O willow, &c.

Of all that doe knowe her, to blaze her untrue.
O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

With these words engraven, as epitaph meet,

O willow, &c.

"Here lyes one, drank poyson for potion most sweet." O willow, &c.

Sing, O the green willow, &c.

Though she thus unkindly hath scorned my love,
O willow, &c.

And carelesly smiles at the sorrowes, I prove;
O willow, &c.

Sing, O the green willow, &c.

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[I cannot 180] I cannot against her unkindly exclaim,

O willow, &c.

Cause once well I loved her, and honoured her name:

O willow, &c.

Sing, O the green willow shall be my garland.

The name of her sounded so sweete in mine eare,
O willow. &c.

It rays'd my heart lightly, the name of my deare;
O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

As then 'twas my comfort, it now is my griefe;
O willow, &c.

It now brings me anguish, then brought me reliefe.

O willow, &c.

Sing, O the greene willow, &c.

Farewell, faire false hearted: plaints end with my breath!

O willow, &c.

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Thou dost loath me, I love thee, though cause of my death.
O willow, willow, willow!

O willow, willow, willow!

Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland.

[VII. SIR 181]

VII.

SIR LANCELOT DU LAKE.

5

This ballad is quoted in Shakespeare's second Part of HENRY IV. A. 2. sc. 4. The subject of it is taken from the ancient romance of K. Arthur (commonly called MORTE ARTHUR) being a poetical translation of Chap. cviii, cix, cx, 10 in Pt. 1st. as they stand in Ed. 1634. 4to. the older Editions the Chapters are differently numbered. This song is given from a printed copy, corrected in folio MS.

In

part by the

In the same play of 2 Her. IV. SILENCE hums a scrap 15 of one of the old ballads of Robin Hood. It is taken from the following stanza of ROBIN HOOD AND THE PINDAR OF WAKEFIELD.

All this beheard three wighty yeomen,

Twas Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John:
With that they espy'd the jolly Pindàr
As he sate under a thorne.

That ballad may be found on every stall, and therefore is not here reprinted.

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WHEN Arthur first in court began,

And was approved king,

By force of armes great victoryes wanne,
And conquest home did bring.

[Then 182] Then into England straight he came
With fifty good and able

Knights, that resorted unto him,
And were of his round table.

And many justs and turnaments,
Wherto were many prest,

Wherein some knights did then excell
And far surmount the rest.

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Engl. Sprach- und Literaturdenkm. VI.

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But one Sir Lancelot du Lake,

Who was approved well,

He for his deeds and feates of armes,

All others did excell.

When he had rested him a while
In play, and game, and sportt,

He said he wold goe prove himselfe
In some adventurous sort.

He armed rode in forrest wide,
And met a damsell faire,

Who told him of adventures great,
Whereto he gave good eare.

Such wold I find, quoth Lancelott:
For that cause came I hither.

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Thou seemst, quoth she, a knight full good,
And I will bring thee thither.

[Whereas 183] Wheras a mighty knight doth dwell,

That now is of great fame:

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And lay him downe, and let him rest;
Weel try our force together.

[For, 184] For, as I understand, thou hast,
Soe far as thou art able,

Done great despite and shame unto
The knights of the Round Table.

If thou be of the Table Round,
Quoth Tarquin speedilye,

Both thee and all thy fellowship

They sett their speares unto their steeds,
And each att other flye.

Defend thee by and by.

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65 They coucht their speares, (their horses ran As though there had been thunder)

70

And strucke them each amidst their shields,
Wherewith they broke in sunder.

Their horses backes brake under them,
The knights were both astound:

To avoyd their horses they made haste

And light upon the ground.

They tooke them to their shields full fast,
Their swords they drew out than,

75 With mighty strokes most eagerlye

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Eache at the other ran.

[They 185] They wounded were, and bled full sore,
For breath they both did stand,

And leaning on their swordes awhile,

Quoth Tarquine, Hold thy hand,

And tell to me what I shall aske.
Say on, quoth Lancelot tho.

Thou art, quoth Tarquine, the best knight
That ever I did know;

And like a knight, that I did hate:

Soe that thou be not hee,

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